Mike Foltynewicz evolving into Astros’ best pitching prospect

His right arm – the limb that can crack 100 mph and has turned the 21-year-old into the most promising pitching prospect the rebuilding Astros possess – is loaded with the images, script and stories.

Add in the long, wavy hair and imposing 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, and the eye-catching numbers Foltynewicz has produced this season (3-0, 2.38 ERA, 67 strikeouts in 64 1/3 combined innings at Class high A and AA) are becoming part of his everyday story.

“The first two months have been pretty exciting for me. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great team to be on,” said Foltynewicz, who moved to 2-0 with a 1.41 ERA for Corpus Christi during the Hooks’ 6-2 victory against the San Antonio Missions on Tuesday at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium. “These guys are awesome to pitch with. I’ve got great defense, great offense. It’s really exciting. I just try to go out here and prove myself; why I should be here and to prove to a lot of people why I can do what I can – that I got drafted in the first round for a reason.”

The No. 19 overall pick of the 2010 MLB amateur draft entered the 2013 season as the No. 5 prospect in the Astros’ farm system, according to Baseball America. Since spring training began, Foltynewicz has only added to his buzz. He wowed the club in Florida, then hurled four innings of one-hit, no-run ball March 30 while striking out seven Chicago Cubs during an exhibition contest at Minute Maid Park.

Foltynewicz was returned to high A Lancaster to begin the regular season. He turned the brief disappointment into fuel, striking out 29 in 26 innings while recording a 3.81 ERA during seven games in the hitter-friendly California League. A promotion to Corpus Christi followed and the native of Minooka, Ill., has responded by striking out 38 and walking just 18 in 38 1/3 innings, while holding opponents to a .157 batting average.

Jarred Cosart, Asher Wojciechowski, Lance McCullers, Nick Tropeano and the unsigned Mark Appel lead the list of Astros pitching prospects that have the potential to guide the rebuilding organization into a new era. But none have the combination of youth, stuff and inner fire like Foltynewicz.

One strong inning and eight sharp pitches during a March 3 spring training game against Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Fla., left the righty buzzing. A 2.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio and improved command of the strike zone this season have only deepened the Astros’ belief the organization has a potential long-term No. 1 starter in its grasp.

“Everybody knows what kind of power and strength he’s got. He sits here at about 97 and he’s had some pitches up as high as 103,” Hooks pitching coach Gary Ruby said. “But the encouraging part is since he’s been here we’re starting to get better down location, OK, and his breaking stuff and his changeup (are) really coming along really nice. His secondary pitches and his fastball command, as he tightens it up, actually, you won’t find much better talent than he’s got.”

Four years removed from high school, Foltynewicz has already realized he won’t last in the majors on stuff alone. A sharp slider has become his out pitch, while a hard curve can be pulled out when needed. But the separating factor for Foltynewicz is his mind. A 5-11, 4.97 ERA-run with low A Lexington in 2011 was a turning point. Now, the righty keeps one eye on the majors and the other on his daily minor-league checklist.

“He has the work ethic, he’s very, very coachable and he wants to succeed, OK, and he’s not just a power guy anymore,” Ruby said. “It’s a luxury to have that kind of arm strength. But he’s learning the art of pitching, which is going to help him a lot.”

Three combined long seasons of rookie and A ball have made the Hooks feel like a pro callup to Foltynewicz. Surrounded by talented young arms belonging to Jake Buchanan, David Martinez and Tropeano and paired with Ruby – who believes in maximizing pitchers’ secondary offerings and owning all areas of the zone – Foltynewicz is learning how to pitch at the same time he’s understanding what it means to be as prepared as possible when the Show calls.

“When you’re gifted like that, you know you’re not far away. But he’s also intense enough about the little things,” Ruby said. “He’s got a tremendous pickoff move. He controls the running game real well. He’s very athletic. He soaks it up like a sponge. Everything we discuss or we discuss as a group, he pays attention to in detail.”

Ruby said Foltynewicz is focusing on three areas of improvement: understanding how to exploit hitters’ swings in specific counts; increasing the downward movement on his fastball; deciding whether a curve or slider will be employed in game-changing situations. The righty prefers the latter and he’s adding a deceiving fourth pitch to his 100 mph-plus fastball.

“I’m trying to get the changeup in there more instead of not throwing it at all, just to get them off the fastball a little bit. … It was fine not throwing a changeup the first couple times around because they didn’t know me,” Foltynewicz said. “Now we’re facing ‘em six times in two weeks, so it’s just something there to put in the back of their heads because they’re going to have a whole bunch of tape on you any level you’re at. You’ve just got to learn how to pitch instead of just going out there and being a thrower.”

Foltynewicz had the thrower part down before he even became a pro. Now, the 21-year-old has the best arm in the Astros’ system and he’s closer than ever to being a true pitcher.